by David Scott Robertson
I was just starting to read the book of Hebrews
This morning in my devotions
When I got a revelation.
Now I know this sounds really corny,
Perhaps even unspiritual,
But the “revelation” of spiritual truth
Did not come from the first chapter of my Bible study.
Instead it came from the orange I was going to eat while I was studying.
(The juice is dripping off my fingers as I write this.)
Sometimes I enjoy eating my breakfast during my Bible study.
But today,
I had to stop my Bible study altogether
To peel an orange.
(Imagine – having to stop a religious activity to learn a spiritual truth!)
As you well know,
Sometimes peeling an orange is sticky business.
Often the skin is thin and it comes off only in little teeny chunks.
In fact, I had to take a pall point pen
And stab the orange’s skin just to get started peeling it.
Then it took about five full minutes of effort
To get that little juicy ball to the point where I could eat it.
(Now you understand that five minutes of deferred gratification
Is a long time for an impatient American!)
It was then that I got the revelation.
See if you agree.
God thought oranges up.
Like black holes in space
Oranges are His idea.
He created them to bring
Sustenance, vitamins, energy, calories, sweetness and enjoyment to His creation.
(He didn’t have to give mankind taste buds to survive but that’s more GOOD NEWS)
But in order to enjoy the orange,
I had to peel it.
I had to pay the price.
I had to get messy.
I had to exert some effort.
I had to wait (my least fun thing and greatest challenge).
I had to postpone my Bible reading.
But God is so wise
Because He gave me a revelation
About something we call “instant gratification”.
You know,
Having what you want when you want it.
(Actually having it before you want it would be even better!)
In five short minutes
I believe the Lord impressed some thoughts on me
About instant gratification…
Instant gratification does not build character.
Instant gratification does not aid faith.
Instant gratification does not promote patience.
Instant gratification does not enhance self-control and discipline.
Instant gratification is not all it is cracked up to be.
The quest for instant gratification assigns us
To the place of immature babies who want it right now or they cry
And insecure adults who want it right now or they rebel.
Some other thoughts that the neurons in my brain tossed around: -
Good things do come to those who wait.
Anything worth having takes effort to obtain.
Hands-on learning is real learning.
God made certain things hard for us to get – on purpose, no less!
Sometimes God wants us to figure stuff out.
Sometimes obstacles really are tests to see how badly we want it.
Victory is often sweeter when you have to work for it.
As a matter of fact, you don’t need it immediately.
If you are impatient, you will miss out on a lot of good living.
Many things (and people) are tossed aside because they take time to develop.
So…
The next time you or I are
Waiting in a long line at Wal-Mart…
Or sitting with an elderly loved one in a nursing home…
Or tapping our fingers on the steering wheel in the drive-through lane…
Or dealing with people and oranges with thin skin…
Remember, instant gratification is not in our best interests!
I hope my little revelation today
Was as a-peeling to you
As it was to me.
DSR
12/28/99
Tuesday, December 28, 1999
Thursday, October 14, 1999
I Will Rejoice
by David Scott Robertson
Have you ever thought these kinds of thoughts?
Have you ever prayed these kinds of prayers?
“Lord, how do I do it?
How do I get from where I am to where you want me to be?
How do I break the ‘habitual ritual’
That I sometimes find myself in, spiritually?
Am I in a ‘religious rut’?
Where is ‘the abundant life’ that Jesus described in John 10:10?
How is my life currently displaying an attitude of
Being an overcomer, a victor and more than a conqueror?
Am I really ‘walking in the Spirit’?
Am I bearing ‘much fruit’ and glorifying my Father in heaven?”
Have you ever taken out a legal pad
And humbly, thoughtfully and very prayerfully
Asked Father God to enlighten your mind on how to revamp your life?
Then, by faith, you write out your new schedule: -
“On Sundays, I shall get up early for a time of worship to prepare my heart for church.”
“On Mondays, I shall get up at 5am for prayer and Bible study.”
“On Tuesdays, I shall pray for missionaries and government officials.”
“On Wednesdays, I shall get involved at church in a ministry to children.”
“On Thursdays, I shall meet with an accountability partner to pray.”
“On Fridays, I shall fast.”
“On Saturdays, I shall make entries into a spiritual journal to document my week.”
Oh, it gets worse!
“I shall exercise daily.”
“I shall eat right.”
“I shall do family devotions each night.”
“I shall go out on a date with my spouse once a week.”
“I shall find a new Christian and mentor him.”
“I shall call my mom and go to lunch with her this week.”
“I shall have my unchurched neighbors over for dinner this weekend.”
“I shall go to the prayer meeting.”
“I shall memorize some scripture this week.”
And it works great… for ten days.
Then you catch a cold and feel rotten and oversleep for nine straight days, trying to get over it.
What happened to my spiritual momentum?
How did my new life get derailed so quickly?
What do I do now?
OK. Now, perhaps you can understand the perspective I’m writing from.
I’m not writing about someone else.
I’m writing about myself.
Perhaps I’m writing about you too.
Life is interesting.
If you think long enough and hard enough about all the
Mishaps,
Detours,
And frustrating setbacks that you have along the way
You can easily talk yourself into being
Discouraged,
Dismayed,
Disoriented,
Disenchanted,
And all those other negative “dis-“ words which lead to “dat” word – depressed!
It’s no wonder the Bible instructs us to: -
(Colossians 3:2 NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
(Philippians 4:8 NIV) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
God promised us through the prophet Isaiah…
(Isaiah 26:3 NIV) “You will keep in perfect peace him [or her] whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
We will (get it?) WE WILL TO,
We make a conscious decision,
An act of our own volition,
We decide to exercise our free will
And choose to REJOICE AND BE LAD!
(Philippians 4:4 KJV) “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV) “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 5:22-23 NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Conclusion: (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the manner. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
DSR
10/14/99
Have you ever thought these kinds of thoughts?
Have you ever prayed these kinds of prayers?
“Lord, how do I do it?
How do I get from where I am to where you want me to be?
How do I break the ‘habitual ritual’
That I sometimes find myself in, spiritually?
Am I in a ‘religious rut’?
Where is ‘the abundant life’ that Jesus described in John 10:10?
How is my life currently displaying an attitude of
Being an overcomer, a victor and more than a conqueror?
Am I really ‘walking in the Spirit’?
Am I bearing ‘much fruit’ and glorifying my Father in heaven?”
Have you ever taken out a legal pad
And humbly, thoughtfully and very prayerfully
Asked Father God to enlighten your mind on how to revamp your life?
Then, by faith, you write out your new schedule: -
“On Sundays, I shall get up early for a time of worship to prepare my heart for church.”
“On Mondays, I shall get up at 5am for prayer and Bible study.”
“On Tuesdays, I shall pray for missionaries and government officials.”
“On Wednesdays, I shall get involved at church in a ministry to children.”
“On Thursdays, I shall meet with an accountability partner to pray.”
“On Fridays, I shall fast.”
“On Saturdays, I shall make entries into a spiritual journal to document my week.”
Oh, it gets worse!
“I shall exercise daily.”
“I shall eat right.”
“I shall do family devotions each night.”
“I shall go out on a date with my spouse once a week.”
“I shall find a new Christian and mentor him.”
“I shall call my mom and go to lunch with her this week.”
“I shall have my unchurched neighbors over for dinner this weekend.”
“I shall go to the prayer meeting.”
“I shall memorize some scripture this week.”
And it works great… for ten days.
Then you catch a cold and feel rotten and oversleep for nine straight days, trying to get over it.
What happened to my spiritual momentum?
How did my new life get derailed so quickly?
What do I do now?
OK. Now, perhaps you can understand the perspective I’m writing from.
I’m not writing about someone else.
I’m writing about myself.
Perhaps I’m writing about you too.
Life is interesting.
If you think long enough and hard enough about all the
Mishaps,
Detours,
And frustrating setbacks that you have along the way
You can easily talk yourself into being
Discouraged,
Dismayed,
Disoriented,
Disenchanted,
And all those other negative “dis-“ words which lead to “dat” word – depressed!
It’s no wonder the Bible instructs us to: -
(Colossians 3:2 NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
(Philippians 4:8 NIV) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
God promised us through the prophet Isaiah…
(Isaiah 26:3 NIV) “You will keep in perfect peace him [or her] whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
We will (get it?) WE WILL TO,
We make a conscious decision,
An act of our own volition,
We decide to exercise our free will
And choose to REJOICE AND BE LAD!
(Philippians 4:4 KJV) “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV) “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 5:22-23 NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Conclusion: (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the manner. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
DSR
10/14/99
Monday, August 30, 1999
It's Not Over Yet
by David Scott Robertson
Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”
In my devotions this morning,
I was finishing up my study of the book of Job.
You probably know the story of a man who,
Apart from the Messiah Himself,
Probably suffered from sustained physical pain than anyone else in the Bible.
What so strongly thumped me on my head during my study
Was not the fact that God was able to say to the devil,
“Have you noticed my servant, Job?” (Job 1:8)
(Can you imagine God saying that about you or me?
“Have you noticed my servant, David Robertson?”
“Have you noticed my servant, [your name]?”
But that’s another story.)
Another interesting aspect of this passage
Is that nobody,
Not Job,
Or his four “comforters”,
Ever seems to make the connection that
Maybe, perhaps, possibly
God was testing Job?
Could it be that the Judge of all the Earth
Was doing that which was right in His sight
And had a specific purpose for Job’s suffering?
But that too is another story.
But if I were a preacher,
I would preach on Job 42:16-17.
Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”
Do you see it?
Job was in a bad spot.
No doubt he was in the roughest, toughest predicament of his entire life.
The physical pain he endured was incomprehensible.
He lost it all, humanly speaking.
The pain of the death of a single child is without comparison,
But to lose all your kids at once transcends tragedy.
All his vast wealth evaporated.
And to top it off,
His theology was being challenged at why this was all happening.
And then we read Job’s response about his struggle to understand the situation.
He thought his life was over.
Or at least it should be over.
“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3;11 NIV)
But that’s when the God of a second chance happened to stop by in a storm!
Never forget “the God factor”!
When Jehovah God Himself is on your side,
There is hope!
Never count the man or woman of God out of the game!
When the counsel of men is to “throw in the towel”
Or “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)
Don’t do it!
It’s not over…yet!
Although God is rarely early,
He is never late!
Everything He does is just and fair and right.
He truly is an “on-time God!”
When man can’t
Like a wonderful gospel singer, the Spirit proclaims, “God can!”
Job 42:12-13 (CEV) “The Lord now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters.”
Here’s the point
And if you can receive it…
Here is the encouragement that I believe Jesus wants you to get out of this note:
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with life…
If you are in the throes of divorce and think it’s all over…
If your company just “reorganized” and you didn’t make the cut…
If your doctor just told you about a problem you have that begins with the letter “C”…
If your report card stinks…
If your relationships are strained…
If your finances are a joke…
If your ministry isn’t bearing the fruit that you had hoped for…
If a thousand other minor, intermediate and mega-serious problems have surface in your life…
The answer today is
It’s not over.. yet!
Don’t attempt a permanent solution to a temporary problem!
You would be astonished at what God can do in 24 hours!
You can be in the ambulance one day
And shopping in Wal-Mart the next!
You can have 3 IV’s in you one night
And be on the treadmill at the YMCA by the next weekend.
You can be alone one day
And meet your future spouse the next (not realizing it could be her or him).
You can be in prison one day
And be the Prime Minister of a great nation the next, just like Joseph!
Hey, it happens
Because God is always up to something for our good (Romans 8:28).
I believe God delights in
Contradicting the bad reports, forecasts and prophecies of unregenerate mankind
To bless and honor and exalt His children in due season!
I’ll betcha that God gets a kick
Out of breaking the Devil’s assignments,
His conspiracies,
His false prophecies,
His negative, pessimistic bad report against us.
Hold on to your integrity (Job 2:3)
And trust in the Lord to bring about your deliverance and He will do it!
Remember, it’s not over… yet!
DSR
8/30/99
Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”
In my devotions this morning,
I was finishing up my study of the book of Job.
You probably know the story of a man who,
Apart from the Messiah Himself,
Probably suffered from sustained physical pain than anyone else in the Bible.
What so strongly thumped me on my head during my study
Was not the fact that God was able to say to the devil,
“Have you noticed my servant, Job?” (Job 1:8)
(Can you imagine God saying that about you or me?
“Have you noticed my servant, David Robertson?”
“Have you noticed my servant, [your name]?”
But that’s another story.)
Another interesting aspect of this passage
Is that nobody,
Not Job,
Or his four “comforters”,
Ever seems to make the connection that
Maybe, perhaps, possibly
God was testing Job?
Could it be that the Judge of all the Earth
Was doing that which was right in His sight
And had a specific purpose for Job’s suffering?
But that too is another story.
But if I were a preacher,
I would preach on Job 42:16-17.
Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”
Do you see it?
Job was in a bad spot.
No doubt he was in the roughest, toughest predicament of his entire life.
The physical pain he endured was incomprehensible.
He lost it all, humanly speaking.
The pain of the death of a single child is without comparison,
But to lose all your kids at once transcends tragedy.
All his vast wealth evaporated.
And to top it off,
His theology was being challenged at why this was all happening.
And then we read Job’s response about his struggle to understand the situation.
He thought his life was over.
Or at least it should be over.
“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3;11 NIV)
But that’s when the God of a second chance happened to stop by in a storm!
Never forget “the God factor”!
When Jehovah God Himself is on your side,
There is hope!
Never count the man or woman of God out of the game!
When the counsel of men is to “throw in the towel”
Or “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)
Don’t do it!
It’s not over…yet!
Although God is rarely early,
He is never late!
Everything He does is just and fair and right.
He truly is an “on-time God!”
When man can’t
Like a wonderful gospel singer, the Spirit proclaims, “God can!”
Job 42:12-13 (CEV) “The Lord now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters.”
Here’s the point
And if you can receive it…
Here is the encouragement that I believe Jesus wants you to get out of this note:
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with life…
If you are in the throes of divorce and think it’s all over…
If your company just “reorganized” and you didn’t make the cut…
If your doctor just told you about a problem you have that begins with the letter “C”…
If your report card stinks…
If your relationships are strained…
If your finances are a joke…
If your ministry isn’t bearing the fruit that you had hoped for…
If a thousand other minor, intermediate and mega-serious problems have surface in your life…
The answer today is
It’s not over.. yet!
Don’t attempt a permanent solution to a temporary problem!
You would be astonished at what God can do in 24 hours!
You can be in the ambulance one day
And shopping in Wal-Mart the next!
You can have 3 IV’s in you one night
And be on the treadmill at the YMCA by the next weekend.
You can be alone one day
And meet your future spouse the next (not realizing it could be her or him).
You can be in prison one day
And be the Prime Minister of a great nation the next, just like Joseph!
Hey, it happens
Because God is always up to something for our good (Romans 8:28).
I believe God delights in
Contradicting the bad reports, forecasts and prophecies of unregenerate mankind
To bless and honor and exalt His children in due season!
I’ll betcha that God gets a kick
Out of breaking the Devil’s assignments,
His conspiracies,
His false prophecies,
His negative, pessimistic bad report against us.
Hold on to your integrity (Job 2:3)
And trust in the Lord to bring about your deliverance and He will do it!
Remember, it’s not over… yet!
DSR
8/30/99
Wednesday, August 25, 1999
A Christian Pledge of Allegiance
by David Scott Robertson
I pledge allegiance
To the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic
For which it stands,
One nation
Under God…
Under the only true and living God,
The Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The God and Father
Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
The God who sent His only begotten Son
To die on the cross of Calvary for humankind’s sin.
The God who willingly left the portals of glory
To be born of a virgin,
Live a sinless life,
And die a vicarious, substitutionary and atoning death,
To reconcile a sin-cursed world with a loving Heavenly Father.
The God who promised to send His Holy Spirit,
To set up a kingdom in our hearts and lives
And baptize us with the Holy Spirit to endue us with power from on high to witness.
The God who is returning soon
To rapture away those who are ready for His appearing;
The righteous God who will one day
Judge both the living and the dead,
The saved and the lost,
And resurrect the blood-bought to everlasting life
And the ungodly to everlasting damnation.
One nation,
Under this God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.
DSR
8/25/99
I pledge allegiance
To the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic
For which it stands,
One nation
Under God…
Under the only true and living God,
The Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The God and Father
Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
The God who sent His only begotten Son
To die on the cross of Calvary for humankind’s sin.
The God who willingly left the portals of glory
To be born of a virgin,
Live a sinless life,
And die a vicarious, substitutionary and atoning death,
To reconcile a sin-cursed world with a loving Heavenly Father.
The God who promised to send His Holy Spirit,
To set up a kingdom in our hearts and lives
And baptize us with the Holy Spirit to endue us with power from on high to witness.
The God who is returning soon
To rapture away those who are ready for His appearing;
The righteous God who will one day
Judge both the living and the dead,
The saved and the lost,
And resurrect the blood-bought to everlasting life
And the ungodly to everlasting damnation.
One nation,
Under this God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.
DSR
8/25/99
Wednesday, August 11, 1999
Be Faithful to Your Spouse
by David Scott Robertson
I love the Word of God.
It cuts to the chase.
It lays its ax at the root of your problem.
It does not mince words, it is the Word.
Take infidelity, for example –
A sin so tragic
That the full ramifications cannot be comprehended.
But “The Answer Book,”
God’s Holy Word,
The Scriptures which cannot be broken,
Will address the issue in no-nonsense terms
To both help prevent it from happening
And offer the antidote to those who have fallen prey.
Proverbs 5:7-8 speaks to those who may have been tempted but have not fallen
Into this sin against their own body.
“My son, LISTEN to me
And DO everything I say.
STAY AWAY from a bad woman!
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR the door of her house.” (CEV, emphasis added)
These 2 verses,
Written in plain English,
About half an inch tall on the page of the Bible
Can save a lifetime of regret and grief.
First, we must be willing to LISTEN to our mentors (v.7).
Wisdom is often found in the experience of others.
We can learn from others who have suffered.
We can observe and see what has happened to the unfortunate person
Who has dabbled in this forbidden activity.
Secondly, we must be willing to DO what is right (v.7).
Knowing what’s right and doing what’s right
Has been a point of great controversy for many souls.
The action verb “do” must take effect to protect us from destruction.
Martin Luther King was once quoted as saying,
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
Next, we must be willing to STAY AWAY from a bad person (v.8).
If you are a married man,
Don’t go to lunch with a woman who is not your wife.
Whenever possible,
Don’t be in a room with the door closed with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t ride in the car with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t go play tennis with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t [fill in the blank] with a woman who is not your wife.
The same goes for married ladies.
Give the Devil a foothold and he’ll shoot for a stronghold.
Finally, DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE (v.8).
Use common sense to avoid every appearance of evil.
Apply the “Joseph Strategy” for staying out of sexual impurity.
“And though she [Potipher’s wife] spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” (Genesis 39:10 NIV)
Don’t even go near the door of the house of a potential problem relationship.
Don’t even go sit at the workstation of a person who might tempt you.
Don’t go to the beach if you struggle with lust and can’t handle the bikinis.
Don’t go to the video store if the video jackets give you a problem.
Don’t stare at the tabloids and magazines at the Wal-Mart checkout lane
If it causes you to stumble with awkward fantasies.
Don’t channel-surf if you linger too long on inappropriate images.
Don’t allow the blessing of the Internet to be a curse on your thought-life.
The Bible frankly and in brutal honesty lists some of the results of infidelity: -
“You will lose your self-respect and end up in debt to some cruel person for the rest of your life.” (Proverbs 5:9)
“Strangers will get your money and everything else you have worked for.” (5:10)
“When it’s all over, your body will waste away, as you grown (5:11)
and shout, ‘I hated advice and correction! (5:12)
‘I paid no attention to my teachers, (5:13)
‘And now I am disgraced in front of everyone.’” (5:14)
Man of God,
Woman of God:
LISTEN TO GOD,
DO EVERYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS!
STAY AWAY from evil companions that corrupt good morals.
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR of those who might cause you to sin sexually.
Ask God to help you love your spouse as Christ loves the Church
And gave Himself for her.
With man this is impossible,
But with God all things are possible.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The antidote to infidelity is of course the cross of Jesus Christ.
The “pound of cure” was the nails pounded into divine hands and feet
That caused the lifeblood of the Son of God to die.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Chris the Righteous (1 John 2:1).
His blood can erase the condemnation of sexual impurity,
Restore the years the locusts have eaten,
And do a new things in a person’s life who has morally failed.
What consequences you must live with
As a result of infidelity are in the Lord’s hands.
The best advice I can give
Is to go to the best advice ever given
And that is found in the pages of the Bible.
Discover for yourself in “Life’s Owner’s Manual”
How to operate your life in accordance with god’s perfect plan for your life
Then you will enjoy a great marriage,
Great parenting,
Great ministry,
And the abundant life that Jesus died that we might obtain (John 10:10).
DSR
8/11/99
I love the Word of God.
It cuts to the chase.
It lays its ax at the root of your problem.
It does not mince words, it is the Word.
Take infidelity, for example –
A sin so tragic
That the full ramifications cannot be comprehended.
But “The Answer Book,”
God’s Holy Word,
The Scriptures which cannot be broken,
Will address the issue in no-nonsense terms
To both help prevent it from happening
And offer the antidote to those who have fallen prey.
Proverbs 5:7-8 speaks to those who may have been tempted but have not fallen
Into this sin against their own body.
“My son, LISTEN to me
And DO everything I say.
STAY AWAY from a bad woman!
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR the door of her house.” (CEV, emphasis added)
These 2 verses,
Written in plain English,
About half an inch tall on the page of the Bible
Can save a lifetime of regret and grief.
First, we must be willing to LISTEN to our mentors (v.7).
Wisdom is often found in the experience of others.
We can learn from others who have suffered.
We can observe and see what has happened to the unfortunate person
Who has dabbled in this forbidden activity.
Secondly, we must be willing to DO what is right (v.7).
Knowing what’s right and doing what’s right
Has been a point of great controversy for many souls.
The action verb “do” must take effect to protect us from destruction.
Martin Luther King was once quoted as saying,
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
Next, we must be willing to STAY AWAY from a bad person (v.8).
If you are a married man,
Don’t go to lunch with a woman who is not your wife.
Whenever possible,
Don’t be in a room with the door closed with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t ride in the car with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t go play tennis with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t [fill in the blank] with a woman who is not your wife.
The same goes for married ladies.
Give the Devil a foothold and he’ll shoot for a stronghold.
Finally, DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE (v.8).
Use common sense to avoid every appearance of evil.
Apply the “Joseph Strategy” for staying out of sexual impurity.
“And though she [Potipher’s wife] spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” (Genesis 39:10 NIV)
Don’t even go near the door of the house of a potential problem relationship.
Don’t even go sit at the workstation of a person who might tempt you.
Don’t go to the beach if you struggle with lust and can’t handle the bikinis.
Don’t go to the video store if the video jackets give you a problem.
Don’t stare at the tabloids and magazines at the Wal-Mart checkout lane
If it causes you to stumble with awkward fantasies.
Don’t channel-surf if you linger too long on inappropriate images.
Don’t allow the blessing of the Internet to be a curse on your thought-life.
The Bible frankly and in brutal honesty lists some of the results of infidelity: -
“You will lose your self-respect and end up in debt to some cruel person for the rest of your life.” (Proverbs 5:9)
“Strangers will get your money and everything else you have worked for.” (5:10)
“When it’s all over, your body will waste away, as you grown (5:11)
and shout, ‘I hated advice and correction! (5:12)
‘I paid no attention to my teachers, (5:13)
‘And now I am disgraced in front of everyone.’” (5:14)
Man of God,
Woman of God:
LISTEN TO GOD,
DO EVERYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS!
STAY AWAY from evil companions that corrupt good morals.
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR of those who might cause you to sin sexually.
Ask God to help you love your spouse as Christ loves the Church
And gave Himself for her.
With man this is impossible,
But with God all things are possible.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The antidote to infidelity is of course the cross of Jesus Christ.
The “pound of cure” was the nails pounded into divine hands and feet
That caused the lifeblood of the Son of God to die.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Chris the Righteous (1 John 2:1).
His blood can erase the condemnation of sexual impurity,
Restore the years the locusts have eaten,
And do a new things in a person’s life who has morally failed.
What consequences you must live with
As a result of infidelity are in the Lord’s hands.
The best advice I can give
Is to go to the best advice ever given
And that is found in the pages of the Bible.
Discover for yourself in “Life’s Owner’s Manual”
How to operate your life in accordance with god’s perfect plan for your life
Then you will enjoy a great marriage,
Great parenting,
Great ministry,
And the abundant life that Jesus died that we might obtain (John 10:10).
DSR
8/11/99
Thursday, July 29, 1999
The Name's in the Book
by David Scott Robertson
I am not a Levite.
I don’t belong to any tribe of Israel.
I am not one of “God’s chosen people.”
I am not a part of the house and line of David.
My name is not listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
I was not one of the twelve apostles.
I wasn’t in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.
To be sure, my name didn’t make it into the Holy Scriptures at all.
FURTHER…
I did not predict the Messiah’s coming as a prophet of God.
I was not at the temple the day Mary and Joseph dedicated the Infant King.
I did not even exist when John the Baptist declared,
“…Look, the Lamb of Good, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV)
MOREOVER…
I visibly saw no miracles performed by the Son of God.
I audibly heard no words of the Sermon on the Mount.
I didn’t eat fish with the Master on the beaches of Galilee.
I wasn’t within earshot of Moses and Elijah as the Christ was
Transfigured before them on the Mount.
I didn’t partake of the last Passover meal that Jesus would enjoy with His disciples.
I wasn’t there to defend Jesus,
Or flee with the rest,
When they took Him from Gethsemane.
I performed no work,
Small or great…
(Whether that was placing two small coins in an offering box as Jesus watched
To killing a giant and delivering his head to a king)
That has captured the attention of History
So that generations might know my story and exploits.
JUST THE FACTS…
I am a Gentile writing these words in 1999.
Independent of my will
I was born.
When I was born,
How I was born,
And where I was born
Quite obviously was beyond my control.
BUT I SAY UNTO YOU THIS MORNING BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD:
Just as surely as Jesus of Nazareth
Made eye contact with the tax collector, Mathew, and said, “Follow Me,” (Matthew 9;9)
He has made the same offer to you and me.
You see, I was mentioned in scripture after all!
I did make it in the Book of books
Written by the King of kings.
You will find mention of me (and yourself!) in verses like:
(John 3:16 NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Emphasis added)
(Rev 3:20 NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Emphasis added)
(Acts 2:39 NIV) “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Emphasis added)
(John 10:9 KJV) “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (Emphasis added.)
Not only am I in God’s Word,
I’m in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
My name is there too!
I don’t mind at all being listed as
WHOEVER,
ANYONE,
ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF,
ANY MAN…
The point is, I’m in!
I’m in God’s kingdom
And God’s kingdom is in me!
So now,
Having entered into a covenant relationshi
With the Holy One of Israel,
I now know that the Author of Scripture
Had me
(Yes, me –
And you,
If you will receive it)
In mind when the Holy Spirit
Had these words recorded in the Bible for eternity:
(1 Pet 2:9 NIV) “But you [me too!] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood [I’m a priest of Jehovah!], a holy nation [I’m in God’s tribe!], a people belonging to God [I am my Beloved’s and He is mine!], that you may declare the praises of Him [praise His name forever!] who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light [I was dead in my sins but Jesus saved me!].”
(1 pet 2:10 NIV) “Once you were not a people [I was lost and undone!], but now you are the people of God [the Spirit of Adoption!]; once you had not received mercy [I was destined for Hell!], but now you have received mercy [I am bound for Heaven!].”
DSR
7/29/99
I am not a Levite.
I don’t belong to any tribe of Israel.
I am not one of “God’s chosen people.”
I am not a part of the house and line of David.
My name is not listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
I was not one of the twelve apostles.
I wasn’t in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.
To be sure, my name didn’t make it into the Holy Scriptures at all.
FURTHER…
I did not predict the Messiah’s coming as a prophet of God.
I was not at the temple the day Mary and Joseph dedicated the Infant King.
I did not even exist when John the Baptist declared,
“…Look, the Lamb of Good, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV)
MOREOVER…
I visibly saw no miracles performed by the Son of God.
I audibly heard no words of the Sermon on the Mount.
I didn’t eat fish with the Master on the beaches of Galilee.
I wasn’t within earshot of Moses and Elijah as the Christ was
Transfigured before them on the Mount.
I didn’t partake of the last Passover meal that Jesus would enjoy with His disciples.
I wasn’t there to defend Jesus,
Or flee with the rest,
When they took Him from Gethsemane.
I performed no work,
Small or great…
(Whether that was placing two small coins in an offering box as Jesus watched
To killing a giant and delivering his head to a king)
That has captured the attention of History
So that generations might know my story and exploits.
JUST THE FACTS…
I am a Gentile writing these words in 1999.
Independent of my will
I was born.
When I was born,
How I was born,
And where I was born
Quite obviously was beyond my control.
BUT I SAY UNTO YOU THIS MORNING BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD:
Just as surely as Jesus of Nazareth
Made eye contact with the tax collector, Mathew, and said, “Follow Me,” (Matthew 9;9)
He has made the same offer to you and me.
You see, I was mentioned in scripture after all!
I did make it in the Book of books
Written by the King of kings.
You will find mention of me (and yourself!) in verses like:
(John 3:16 NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Emphasis added)
(Rev 3:20 NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Emphasis added)
(Acts 2:39 NIV) “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Emphasis added)
(John 10:9 KJV) “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (Emphasis added.)
Not only am I in God’s Word,
I’m in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
My name is there too!
I don’t mind at all being listed as
WHOEVER,
ANYONE,
ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF,
ANY MAN…
The point is, I’m in!
I’m in God’s kingdom
And God’s kingdom is in me!
So now,
Having entered into a covenant relationshi
With the Holy One of Israel,
I now know that the Author of Scripture
Had me
(Yes, me –
And you,
If you will receive it)
In mind when the Holy Spirit
Had these words recorded in the Bible for eternity:
(1 Pet 2:9 NIV) “But you [me too!] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood [I’m a priest of Jehovah!], a holy nation [I’m in God’s tribe!], a people belonging to God [I am my Beloved’s and He is mine!], that you may declare the praises of Him [praise His name forever!] who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light [I was dead in my sins but Jesus saved me!].”
(1 pet 2:10 NIV) “Once you were not a people [I was lost and undone!], but now you are the people of God [the Spirit of Adoption!]; once you had not received mercy [I was destined for Hell!], but now you have received mercy [I am bound for Heaven!].”
DSR
7/29/99
Wednesday, July 21, 1999
A Good Idea vs. A God Idea
by David Scott Robertson
Have you ever started a project and not finished it?
Could it be that the fact that it petered out
Is an indicator that it may have been
“A good idea” and not necessarily “a God idea”?
I have launched so many
Projects, tasks and to-dos
That have eventually flopped, fizzled and failed.
My life has been a lot like shooting skeet.
I yell, “Pull!” as I launch what I think is a good idea
Only to watch in horror as it explodes in mid-air,
Having been shot to smithereens,
And crashes and burns to the ground like Skylab re-entering orbit.
“Well,” I reason, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
God ideas have staying power.
God ideas last and last and stand the test of time.
God ideas finish the race,
Navigate the icebergs,
Pass over the speed bumps,
Clear the hurdles,
Scale the walls,
Make it through the obstacle course of oppression,
And survive the combat that always comes against them.
God ideas come to their logical conclusion
At God’s appointed time and season.
God ideas do not return void
But accomplish what the Lord desires
And succeed in the matter for which He sent them.
Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
Good is often the enemy of best.
The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
King David thought it was a good idea to build a magnificent temple for God.
It was not a God idea.
Joshua thought it was a good idea to make a pact with the Gibeonites.
It was not a God idea.
History is replete with good ideas
Gone sour,
Plans gone awry,
“Strokes of genius” having devastating and catastrophic results.
But a God idea is not that way at all.
It has more going for it than momentum…
It has anointing!
A God idea is a concept that is
Jehovah-sanctioned,
Trinity-approved,
Holy Ghost-empowered,
Divinely enabled,
Supernaturally guided,
Lord Jesus-ordained
Which makes things happen –
“Suddenly” or in the fullness of time.
This kind of God idea
Grows a church to the thousands,
Demolishes strongholds,
Heals the sick,
Raises the dead,
Confounds the wise,
Promotes the foolish,
Gets the job done,
Finishes the work.
My advice to myself,
And to you if you can receive it,
Is to inquire of the Lord.
Pray things through.
And include the Lord in the loop of your life.
Before you begin a journey of a thousand miles,
Ask the Lord, ‘Now, is this my idea or Yours?”
Before you prepare to go down a pathway of great sacrifice,
Consider if God has ordered these steps.
Before you enlist in the military,
Sign up for medical school,
Propose to your girlfriend,
Divorce your wife,
Accept a job offer,
Get into debt…
Why not ask the Lord,
“Is this what I am supposed to do?”
“Is this what I am supposed to be?”
Can you not discern,
Dear reader,
The difference between “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
DSR
7/21/99
Have you ever started a project and not finished it?
Could it be that the fact that it petered out
Is an indicator that it may have been
“A good idea” and not necessarily “a God idea”?
I have launched so many
Projects, tasks and to-dos
That have eventually flopped, fizzled and failed.
My life has been a lot like shooting skeet.
I yell, “Pull!” as I launch what I think is a good idea
Only to watch in horror as it explodes in mid-air,
Having been shot to smithereens,
And crashes and burns to the ground like Skylab re-entering orbit.
“Well,” I reason, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
God ideas have staying power.
God ideas last and last and stand the test of time.
God ideas finish the race,
Navigate the icebergs,
Pass over the speed bumps,
Clear the hurdles,
Scale the walls,
Make it through the obstacle course of oppression,
And survive the combat that always comes against them.
God ideas come to their logical conclusion
At God’s appointed time and season.
God ideas do not return void
But accomplish what the Lord desires
And succeed in the matter for which He sent them.
Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
Good is often the enemy of best.
The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
King David thought it was a good idea to build a magnificent temple for God.
It was not a God idea.
Joshua thought it was a good idea to make a pact with the Gibeonites.
It was not a God idea.
History is replete with good ideas
Gone sour,
Plans gone awry,
“Strokes of genius” having devastating and catastrophic results.
But a God idea is not that way at all.
It has more going for it than momentum…
It has anointing!
A God idea is a concept that is
Jehovah-sanctioned,
Trinity-approved,
Holy Ghost-empowered,
Divinely enabled,
Supernaturally guided,
Lord Jesus-ordained
Which makes things happen –
“Suddenly” or in the fullness of time.
This kind of God idea
Grows a church to the thousands,
Demolishes strongholds,
Heals the sick,
Raises the dead,
Confounds the wise,
Promotes the foolish,
Gets the job done,
Finishes the work.
My advice to myself,
And to you if you can receive it,
Is to inquire of the Lord.
Pray things through.
And include the Lord in the loop of your life.
Before you begin a journey of a thousand miles,
Ask the Lord, ‘Now, is this my idea or Yours?”
Before you prepare to go down a pathway of great sacrifice,
Consider if God has ordered these steps.
Before you enlist in the military,
Sign up for medical school,
Propose to your girlfriend,
Divorce your wife,
Accept a job offer,
Get into debt…
Why not ask the Lord,
“Is this what I am supposed to do?”
“Is this what I am supposed to be?”
Can you not discern,
Dear reader,
The difference between “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”
DSR
7/21/99
Tuesday, July 13, 1999
The Message of the Spring
by David Scott Robertson
Yesterday, I got up 2½ hours late.
There is a tendency,
A weakness,
A flaw in me
That causes me to think that not only is my Daytimers now messed up,
But somehow my whole day is now out of whack,
That somehow I am defeated before I get started
And no doubt things that must get done today will not get done today.
It reminds me of when I last went bowling;
I threw the first ball and didn’t get a strike.
I commented,
“Well, there goes a perfect game!”
But you know what I’ve discovered?
Jesus is Lord even of our Daytimers!
He is more powerful than Personal Information Managers!
He has a divine purpose,
A sovereign plan for each day,
And the power to back it up and make things happen
That defies our personal plans,
Overrides our goal-setting,
And vetoes our agendas.
As I was pondering my fate
On a less than “maximum productivity day”
Due to my slothfulness, laziness and lack of self-discipline –
While I was exercising in the lap pool at the YMCA
The Lord began to speak to my heart…
He began to deal with me
About living life in the right order.
About first things first.
About the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God
Whether I get up at
4am or 10am.
Maybe it was because I was totally immersed in water
As I was swimming laps,
But the Lord used the word-picture of a fresh, clean spring
To teach me about the importance of seeing God first.
Now, we know that water is vital for our health and life.
We use it
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For its highest and most noble purpose
Of preserving our life and maintaining essential bodily functions.
The body needs water; without it, we die.
Really simple Biology.
Less mission-critical
But still important
Are the uses of water – for bathing,
Washing our clothes
And even exercising, as I was presently doing.
Now, here is what I felt the Lord shared with me:-
In your mind’s eye, picture a water spring.
An invigorating pool of water spring-fed with pure water
Bubbling up from the water table deep under the Earth’s crust.
Now, FIRST THING each morning, I picture myself going to such a spring.
The spring, to me, represents the Living Water of God
And intimacy, fellowship, worship and interaction with His life-giving Spirit.
While its waters are crystal clear, fresh and perfect for drawing my drinking water.
I take a long, satisfying drink to fill up my internal canteen,
And actually gather up a supply to share
With my family and others throughout the day.
The water is carefully, gently, even tenderly gathered
In the quietness of the first moments of the day,
So as not to stir up all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
That has settled overnight on to the bottom of the shallow spring.
If I were to go to the spring first thing
And bathe in it with soap,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and launder my clothes in the spring first thing,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and exercise in the spring to get my heart rate up
In the training zone for 20 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
It would take time for all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
To settle back down at the bottom
Before I could at last enjoy again
Pure, fresh, crystal-clear drinking water.
Through this very simple metaphor,
God began to emphasize to my heart
The absolute importance
Of putting Him first in my life.
Time management is not the issue.
Time spent with the Son of God and in His Word is the issue.
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For our highest and most noble purpose
Of loving our Creator-God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We require Living Water to
Preserve our spiritual life and maintain essential body-of-Christ functions.
The bone-dry spirit devoid of Living Water will die.
Really simple Biology.
DSR. July 13, 1999
Yesterday, I got up 2½ hours late.
There is a tendency,
A weakness,
A flaw in me
That causes me to think that not only is my Daytimers now messed up,
But somehow my whole day is now out of whack,
That somehow I am defeated before I get started
And no doubt things that must get done today will not get done today.
It reminds me of when I last went bowling;
I threw the first ball and didn’t get a strike.
I commented,
“Well, there goes a perfect game!”
But you know what I’ve discovered?
Jesus is Lord even of our Daytimers!
He is more powerful than Personal Information Managers!
He has a divine purpose,
A sovereign plan for each day,
And the power to back it up and make things happen
That defies our personal plans,
Overrides our goal-setting,
And vetoes our agendas.
As I was pondering my fate
On a less than “maximum productivity day”
Due to my slothfulness, laziness and lack of self-discipline –
While I was exercising in the lap pool at the YMCA
The Lord began to speak to my heart…
He began to deal with me
About living life in the right order.
About first things first.
About the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God
Whether I get up at
4am or 10am.
Maybe it was because I was totally immersed in water
As I was swimming laps,
But the Lord used the word-picture of a fresh, clean spring
To teach me about the importance of seeing God first.
Now, we know that water is vital for our health and life.
We use it
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For its highest and most noble purpose
Of preserving our life and maintaining essential bodily functions.
The body needs water; without it, we die.
Really simple Biology.
Less mission-critical
But still important
Are the uses of water – for bathing,
Washing our clothes
And even exercising, as I was presently doing.
Now, here is what I felt the Lord shared with me:-
In your mind’s eye, picture a water spring.
An invigorating pool of water spring-fed with pure water
Bubbling up from the water table deep under the Earth’s crust.
Now, FIRST THING each morning, I picture myself going to such a spring.
The spring, to me, represents the Living Water of God
And intimacy, fellowship, worship and interaction with His life-giving Spirit.
While its waters are crystal clear, fresh and perfect for drawing my drinking water.
I take a long, satisfying drink to fill up my internal canteen,
And actually gather up a supply to share
With my family and others throughout the day.
The water is carefully, gently, even tenderly gathered
In the quietness of the first moments of the day,
So as not to stir up all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
That has settled overnight on to the bottom of the shallow spring.
If I were to go to the spring first thing
And bathe in it with soap,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and launder my clothes in the spring first thing,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and exercise in the spring to get my heart rate up
In the training zone for 20 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
It would take time for all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
To settle back down at the bottom
Before I could at last enjoy again
Pure, fresh, crystal-clear drinking water.
Through this very simple metaphor,
God began to emphasize to my heart
The absolute importance
Of putting Him first in my life.
Time management is not the issue.
Time spent with the Son of God and in His Word is the issue.
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For our highest and most noble purpose
Of loving our Creator-God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We require Living Water to
Preserve our spiritual life and maintain essential body-of-Christ functions.
The bone-dry spirit devoid of Living Water will die.
Really simple Biology.
DSR. July 13, 1999
The Message of the Spring
by David Scott Robertson
Yesterday, I got up 2½ hours late.
There is a tendency,
A weakness,
A flaw in me
That causes me to think that not only is my Daytimers now messed up,
But somehow my whole day is now out of whack,
That somehow I am defeated before I get started
And no doubt things that must get done today will not get done today.
It reminds me of when I last went bowling;
I threw the first ball and didn’t get a strike.
I commented,
“Well, there goes a perfect game!”
But you know what I’ve discovered?
Jesus is Lord even of our Daytimers!
He is more powerful than Personal Information Managers!
He has a divine purpose,
A sovereign plan for each day,
And the power to back it up and make things happen
That defies our personal plans,
Overrides our goal-setting,
And vetoes our agendas.
As I was pondering my fate
On a less than “maximum productivity day”
Due to my slothfulness, laziness and lack of self-discipline –
While I was exercising in the lap pool at the YMCA
The Lord began to speak to my heart…
He began to deal with me
About living life in the right order.
About first things first.
About the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God
Whether I get up at
4am or 10am.
Maybe it was because I was totally immersed in water
As I was swimming laps,
But the Lord used the word-picture of a fresh, clean spring
To teach me about the importance of seeing God first.
Now, we know that water is vital for our health and life.
We use it
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For its highest and most noble purpose
Of preserving our life and maintaining essential bodily functions.
The body needs water; without it, we die.
Really simple Biology.
Less mission-critical
But still important
Are the uses of water – for bathing,
Washing our clothes
And even exercising, as I was presently doing.
Now, here is what I felt the Lord shared with me:-
In your mind’s eye, picture a water spring.
An invigorating pool of water spring-fed with pure water
Bubbling up from the water table deep under the Earth’s crust.
Now, FIRST THING each morning, I picture myself going to such a spring.
The spring, to me, represents the Living Water of God
And intimacy, fellowship, worship and interaction with His life-giving Spirit.
While its waters are crystal clear, fresh and perfect for drawing my drinking water.
I take a long, satisfying drink to fill up my internal canteen,
And actually gather up a supply to share
With my family and others throughout the day.
The water is carefully, gently, even tenderly gathered
In the quietness of the first moments of the day,
So as not to stir up all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
That has settled overnight on to the bottom of the shallow spring.
If I were to go to the spring first thing
And bathe in it with soap,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and launder my clothes in the spring first thing,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and exercise in the spring to get my heart rate up
In the training zone for 20 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
It would take time for all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
To settle back down at the bottom
Before I could at last enjoy again
Pure, fresh, crystal-clear drinking water.
Through this very simple metaphor,
God began to emphasize to my heart
The absolute importance
Of putting Him first in my life.
Time management is not the issue.
Time spent with the Son of God and in His Word is the issue.
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For our highest and most noble purpose
Of loving our Creator-God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We require Living Water to
Preserve our spiritual life and maintain essential body-of-Christ functions.
The bone-dry spirit devoid of Living Water will die.
Really simple Biology.
DSR. July 13, 1999
Yesterday, I got up 2½ hours late.
There is a tendency,
A weakness,
A flaw in me
That causes me to think that not only is my Daytimers now messed up,
But somehow my whole day is now out of whack,
That somehow I am defeated before I get started
And no doubt things that must get done today will not get done today.
It reminds me of when I last went bowling;
I threw the first ball and didn’t get a strike.
I commented,
“Well, there goes a perfect game!”
But you know what I’ve discovered?
Jesus is Lord even of our Daytimers!
He is more powerful than Personal Information Managers!
He has a divine purpose,
A sovereign plan for each day,
And the power to back it up and make things happen
That defies our personal plans,
Overrides our goal-setting,
And vetoes our agendas.
As I was pondering my fate
On a less than “maximum productivity day”
Due to my slothfulness, laziness and lack of self-discipline –
While I was exercising in the lap pool at the YMCA
The Lord began to speak to my heart…
He began to deal with me
About living life in the right order.
About first things first.
About the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God
Whether I get up at
4am or 10am.
Maybe it was because I was totally immersed in water
As I was swimming laps,
But the Lord used the word-picture of a fresh, clean spring
To teach me about the importance of seeing God first.
Now, we know that water is vital for our health and life.
We use it
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For its highest and most noble purpose
Of preserving our life and maintaining essential bodily functions.
The body needs water; without it, we die.
Really simple Biology.
Less mission-critical
But still important
Are the uses of water – for bathing,
Washing our clothes
And even exercising, as I was presently doing.
Now, here is what I felt the Lord shared with me:-
In your mind’s eye, picture a water spring.
An invigorating pool of water spring-fed with pure water
Bubbling up from the water table deep under the Earth’s crust.
Now, FIRST THING each morning, I picture myself going to such a spring.
The spring, to me, represents the Living Water of God
And intimacy, fellowship, worship and interaction with His life-giving Spirit.
While its waters are crystal clear, fresh and perfect for drawing my drinking water.
I take a long, satisfying drink to fill up my internal canteen,
And actually gather up a supply to share
With my family and others throughout the day.
The water is carefully, gently, even tenderly gathered
In the quietness of the first moments of the day,
So as not to stir up all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
That has settled overnight on to the bottom of the shallow spring.
If I were to go to the spring first thing
And bathe in it with soap,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and launder my clothes in the spring first thing,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and exercise in the spring to get my heart rate up
In the training zone for 20 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
It would take time for all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
To settle back down at the bottom
Before I could at last enjoy again
Pure, fresh, crystal-clear drinking water.
Through this very simple metaphor,
God began to emphasize to my heart
The absolute importance
Of putting Him first in my life.
Time management is not the issue.
Time spent with the Son of God and in His Word is the issue.
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For our highest and most noble purpose
Of loving our Creator-God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We require Living Water to
Preserve our spiritual life and maintain essential body-of-Christ functions.
The bone-dry spirit devoid of Living Water will die.
Really simple Biology.
DSR. July 13, 1999
Saturday, July 10, 1999
This is Not Supposed to Happen to Christians!
by David Scott Robertson
I sit here at the keyboard this morning
With a throbbing headache,
A very sore leg,
And very humbled spirit.
You see,
I spent about 3 hours in the emergency room last night
After falling out of the back of a stationary pickup truck
And learning that asphalt and gravity make a poor combination.
(Never mind how this dumb thing happened to an adult human being.)
When I fell,
My knee went ways that God did not intend for the knee He designed to go.
Then came the sudden stop at the end of my short flight.
But the real zinger was that the fall and pain somehow caused my body
To go into some type of “glucose shock”.
My blood sugar level “bottomed out”
And all of a sudden the world was fading away fast.
The paramedics could not get a pulse
Nor could they get any blood pressure,
And through my haze and disorientation
I overheard the nice young lady with the nametag
Say that my blood sugar level had plummeted to 39 (whatever that means!).
OK, now I’ve set the stage for you.
Well, to cut to the chase
And make a long story short,
I’m going to limp around for a few days
And simply need some follow-up with testing on my glucose levels
To see why Mr. Pancreas is taking too many sick days at work.
But the nagging question and open issue remains:
Why does this kind of stuff happen to Christians?
I mean,
I pay my tithes,
I’m faithful to church,
To my wife,
To my calling to work in the ministry.
My pedigree of “good works” seems to be somewhat respectable…
And yet you wonder about such things
When you’re sitting in a hospital bed with an I.V. stuck in your arm.
Questions…
Where is God in all of this?
Where did I take a wrong turn and miss His will?
Not only do I try to live right,
I try to eat right, exercise daily and brake for small animals.
What’s the deal, anyway?
Why do “bad” things happen to “good” people?
It’s the classic question
Often unspoken but just as often crossing the mind
When you go to funerals,
Arrive at accident scenes,
Visit people in the hospital,
Or read e-mails of incredible suffering of a missionary in Indonesia.
So, what is the deal?
Does God let the Devil get the upper hand for a few hours in your life?
Are we being punished?
Do these things happen to adjust our life compass
Because we are too hardheaded to make the changes any other way?
You know what I think the conclusion is?
Everything God does is just and fair and right.
All things work together for good (Romans 8:28).
The steps of a righteous man are ordained of God, and God delights in each step (Psalm 37:23).
If the attack originates from the Devil,
God will turn it around for my good.
If the situation was permitted or even instigated by the Lord,
God will turn it around for my good.
No “good” thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).
Sometimes situations that are perceived as “bad”
Really do serve us the most in the long run.
When you get to Heaven, ask Joseph about the time his brothers threw him in a pit
And where all of that mess led to (Genesis 45:5).
On the morning after a traumatic incident in our lives
I think our thoughts ought to gravitate towards
Praise and worship,
Gratitude and thankfulness,
Statement of faith and professions of blessing
To the Lord our God
Coupled with a renewed consecration to boldly proclaim:
“Though you slay me, yet will I trust you, Lord!” (Job 13:15)
Why?
Because He’s God, that’s why!
Does there need to be any other reason?
Because He’s worthy, that’s why!
Because all His promises are “yes” and “amen” and 100% true! (2 Corinthians 1:20)
His greatness and His great love for you and me
Are not based on how we feel in the natural
But on His Son’s supernatural Blood!
My blood was shed last night
But it did not have the power
To untangle the physical and mental battles we face
In our pilgrimage through life from cradle to grave
Like the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth.
His Blood offers peace in the ambulance.
His Word offers hope as you face the unknown
And are waiting for the blood work and X-rays and test results to come back.
His Spirit offers grace to endure
IV’s and blood tests and ignorant statements like,
“Hold on, Sir, you might feel a little discomfort when I do this procedure.”
(Never believe them when they say, “This is just going to pinch a little bit!”)
My advice to you as I close today is this:
Don’t let anything stop you
From giving glory to the Lord our God!
Join me in my resolve to
Get out of God’s way and let Him get glory out of my life!
Lord, I’m listening, this morning!
I want to hear You talk to me through your Word
And through Your still, small voice.
Talk tenderly to Your servant
And lovingly chastise,
Rebuke,
Discipline,
Counsel
And advise.
I shall hear and obey!
DSR, July 10, 1999
I sit here at the keyboard this morning
With a throbbing headache,
A very sore leg,
And very humbled spirit.
You see,
I spent about 3 hours in the emergency room last night
After falling out of the back of a stationary pickup truck
And learning that asphalt and gravity make a poor combination.
(Never mind how this dumb thing happened to an adult human being.)
When I fell,
My knee went ways that God did not intend for the knee He designed to go.
Then came the sudden stop at the end of my short flight.
But the real zinger was that the fall and pain somehow caused my body
To go into some type of “glucose shock”.
My blood sugar level “bottomed out”
And all of a sudden the world was fading away fast.
The paramedics could not get a pulse
Nor could they get any blood pressure,
And through my haze and disorientation
I overheard the nice young lady with the nametag
Say that my blood sugar level had plummeted to 39 (whatever that means!).
OK, now I’ve set the stage for you.
Well, to cut to the chase
And make a long story short,
I’m going to limp around for a few days
And simply need some follow-up with testing on my glucose levels
To see why Mr. Pancreas is taking too many sick days at work.
But the nagging question and open issue remains:
Why does this kind of stuff happen to Christians?
I mean,
I pay my tithes,
I’m faithful to church,
To my wife,
To my calling to work in the ministry.
My pedigree of “good works” seems to be somewhat respectable…
And yet you wonder about such things
When you’re sitting in a hospital bed with an I.V. stuck in your arm.
Questions…
Where is God in all of this?
Where did I take a wrong turn and miss His will?
Not only do I try to live right,
I try to eat right, exercise daily and brake for small animals.
What’s the deal, anyway?
Why do “bad” things happen to “good” people?
It’s the classic question
Often unspoken but just as often crossing the mind
When you go to funerals,
Arrive at accident scenes,
Visit people in the hospital,
Or read e-mails of incredible suffering of a missionary in Indonesia.
So, what is the deal?
Does God let the Devil get the upper hand for a few hours in your life?
Are we being punished?
Do these things happen to adjust our life compass
Because we are too hardheaded to make the changes any other way?
You know what I think the conclusion is?
Everything God does is just and fair and right.
All things work together for good (Romans 8:28).
The steps of a righteous man are ordained of God, and God delights in each step (Psalm 37:23).
If the attack originates from the Devil,
God will turn it around for my good.
If the situation was permitted or even instigated by the Lord,
God will turn it around for my good.
No “good” thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).
Sometimes situations that are perceived as “bad”
Really do serve us the most in the long run.
When you get to Heaven, ask Joseph about the time his brothers threw him in a pit
And where all of that mess led to (Genesis 45:5).
On the morning after a traumatic incident in our lives
I think our thoughts ought to gravitate towards
Praise and worship,
Gratitude and thankfulness,
Statement of faith and professions of blessing
To the Lord our God
Coupled with a renewed consecration to boldly proclaim:
“Though you slay me, yet will I trust you, Lord!” (Job 13:15)
Why?
Because He’s God, that’s why!
Does there need to be any other reason?
Because He’s worthy, that’s why!
Because all His promises are “yes” and “amen” and 100% true! (2 Corinthians 1:20)
His greatness and His great love for you and me
Are not based on how we feel in the natural
But on His Son’s supernatural Blood!
My blood was shed last night
But it did not have the power
To untangle the physical and mental battles we face
In our pilgrimage through life from cradle to grave
Like the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth.
His Blood offers peace in the ambulance.
His Word offers hope as you face the unknown
And are waiting for the blood work and X-rays and test results to come back.
His Spirit offers grace to endure
IV’s and blood tests and ignorant statements like,
“Hold on, Sir, you might feel a little discomfort when I do this procedure.”
(Never believe them when they say, “This is just going to pinch a little bit!”)
My advice to you as I close today is this:
Don’t let anything stop you
From giving glory to the Lord our God!
Join me in my resolve to
Get out of God’s way and let Him get glory out of my life!
Lord, I’m listening, this morning!
I want to hear You talk to me through your Word
And through Your still, small voice.
Talk tenderly to Your servant
And lovingly chastise,
Rebuke,
Discipline,
Counsel
And advise.
I shall hear and obey!
DSR, July 10, 1999
Friday, July 9, 1999
Rebuilders of the Wall - Then and Now
by David Scott Robertson
In my devotional time this morning,
I was reading Nehemiah, Chapter 3
Which chronicles the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
Under the direction of the man of God, Nehemiah.
At first reading,
The passage reminded me of the genealogies
The Jewish writers often employed in their writing style,
Listing that the son of such-and-such did this-and-that.
But I remembered that
All scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16).
And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
These names were included in the Holy Scriptures for a purpose.
As I re-read this passage,
It was then I began to see things that I hadn't before.
It caused me to consider that there are people in the church world today
Similar to those found in Nehemiah, Chapter 3.
3:1 "The high priest Eliashib and the other priests rebuilt Sheep Gate and hung its doors." - I've seen pastors, deacons and other church leaders working on decks, painting stairwells and doing all kinds of necessary tasks to inspire the people and lead by example.
3:2 "The people of Jericho rebuilt the next section of the wall, and Zacur son of Imri rebuilt the section after that." - I've seen individuals in the Church (like Zacur who rebuilt an entire section himself) that are so zealous for the Lord that they carry the workload of an entire group of people (like the people of Jericho who rebuilt one section).
3:3 "The family of Hassenaah rebuilt Fish Gate." - For many today, the ministry of God is a family affair. Dad, mom and the kids pull together to serve in the Master's field of labor and consequently enjoy the harvest of a rich family heritage. Perhaps it's a divorced mother single-handedly building the ethic of serving Jesus Christ holding the family together. Whatever the case, the legacy left is one of "family ministry" that keeps the family close to the Lord and to each other.
3:5 "The next section was to be repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their town leaders refused to do the hard work they were assigned." - Have you ever known anyone in the Church who turned his or her hand from the plow because the assigned work was too hard? It's a secular cliché but it has spiritual implications: "Winners never quit and quitters never win."
3:8b "Hananiah the perfume maker rebuilt the section next after that, and it went as far as Broad Wall." - Isn't it amazing how the most unlikely characters with odd occupations or talents are often precisely whom God chooses and uses to expand His kingdom? It just goes to show you that no matter who you are and what you do you can make a positive impact for the praise of His glory… if you make yourself available.
3:10 "The section after that was close to the home of Jedaiah son of Harumaph, and he rebuilt it." - Charity begins at home, or at least pretty close to home. Sometimes we don't have to go very far to find a need and meet it.
3:12 "Shallum son of Hallohesh ruled the other half of the Jerusalem District, and he rebuilt the next section of the wall. Shallum's daughters also worked with him." - God has always had a place for women in the ministry. The scriptures don't reveal how old these girls were; perhaps they were teenagers. God has, is and will continue to use young girls, young ladies and older women to do the work of the Kingdom (notice these girls didn't gripe about their assignment like the men of Tekoa!).
3:15 "Shallum son of Colhozeh ruled the district of Mizpah, and he rebuilt Fountain Gate. He put a cover over the gateway, then hung the doors and added metal bolts and wooden beams as locks." - There are always people in the Church who go above and beyond the call of duty. They go all out for God on every project they undertake. I couldn't find in my reading of Nehemiah, Chapter 3, where anyone else put a cover over the gateway. This embellishment was an added feature that made a statement by Shallum that things done for God ought to be the best. Oswald Chambers called it, "My utmost for His highest."
3:20 "Baruch son of Zabbai eagerly rebuilt the section of the wall that went all the way to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest." - Don't you love it when in the company of the saints there is someone with an eager attitude? A positive, cheerful fellow in your church that does his job with a smile on his face. You know this guy… He's the one you can go ask to do anything from weed-eat the church lawn to fix the broken urinal in the men's restroom to serve communion at a Sunday night service and he'll just smile at you and say, "I'm glad to do it!"
3:30 "Hananiah and Hanun rebuilt the next section, which was the second section for them." The scriptures teach, "Two are better than one and a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Here we see two Israelites bonded together to do a work for God. The result? They completed the work on two sections. The buddy system works today in the Church too! In agreeing prayer, it can cause ten times as many of the enemy to flee!
3:32 "The goldsmiths and merchants rebuilt the last section of the wall, which went from the corner room all the way to Sheep Gate." - How pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) What happens when unity reigns? The "last section" gets done! In other words, we finish the work that God calls us to do. Bear in mind that the Tower of Babel was never completed because the workers got out of unity. God honors unified efforts expended under the auspices of His will and anointing.
4:1 "When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people." - It is not that I want to end on a negative note, but some things never change. Any time a great work for God is undertaken, we can expect the Sanballats of this world to creep out of the woodwork to preach their pessimistic gospel of negativism. We can and should take the stance that Nehemiah did, and not "come off the wall" (Nehemiah 6:3) to stop working for God in order to argue with the naysayers. We may feel better emotionally but the work of God stops. God's work must be done. God's will will be done. God's name must be exalted. Vengeance is His alone (Romans 12:19).
So, there you have it.
Times change but people usually don't.
Whether in ancient Israel building a wall
Or down at the corner church building a handicapped accessible ramp,
You are doubtless going to encounter people in your church
Who display the tendencies and attitudes of the people that
Nehemiah dealt with as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem!
But you and I can finish the work if we adopt the attitude towards opposition that Nehemiah did:-
"They [the enemies of Israel] were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak from the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'" (Nehemiah 6:9 NIV).
Pray, and God will strengthen your hands to complete His work.
DSR, July 9, 1999
In my devotional time this morning,
I was reading Nehemiah, Chapter 3
Which chronicles the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
Under the direction of the man of God, Nehemiah.
At first reading,
The passage reminded me of the genealogies
The Jewish writers often employed in their writing style,
Listing that the son of such-and-such did this-and-that.
But I remembered that
All scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16).
And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
These names were included in the Holy Scriptures for a purpose.
As I re-read this passage,
It was then I began to see things that I hadn't before.
It caused me to consider that there are people in the church world today
Similar to those found in Nehemiah, Chapter 3.
3:1 "The high priest Eliashib and the other priests rebuilt Sheep Gate and hung its doors." - I've seen pastors, deacons and other church leaders working on decks, painting stairwells and doing all kinds of necessary tasks to inspire the people and lead by example.
3:2 "The people of Jericho rebuilt the next section of the wall, and Zacur son of Imri rebuilt the section after that." - I've seen individuals in the Church (like Zacur who rebuilt an entire section himself) that are so zealous for the Lord that they carry the workload of an entire group of people (like the people of Jericho who rebuilt one section).
3:3 "The family of Hassenaah rebuilt Fish Gate." - For many today, the ministry of God is a family affair. Dad, mom and the kids pull together to serve in the Master's field of labor and consequently enjoy the harvest of a rich family heritage. Perhaps it's a divorced mother single-handedly building the ethic of serving Jesus Christ holding the family together. Whatever the case, the legacy left is one of "family ministry" that keeps the family close to the Lord and to each other.
3:5 "The next section was to be repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their town leaders refused to do the hard work they were assigned." - Have you ever known anyone in the Church who turned his or her hand from the plow because the assigned work was too hard? It's a secular cliché but it has spiritual implications: "Winners never quit and quitters never win."
3:8b "Hananiah the perfume maker rebuilt the section next after that, and it went as far as Broad Wall." - Isn't it amazing how the most unlikely characters with odd occupations or talents are often precisely whom God chooses and uses to expand His kingdom? It just goes to show you that no matter who you are and what you do you can make a positive impact for the praise of His glory… if you make yourself available.
3:10 "The section after that was close to the home of Jedaiah son of Harumaph, and he rebuilt it." - Charity begins at home, or at least pretty close to home. Sometimes we don't have to go very far to find a need and meet it.
3:12 "Shallum son of Hallohesh ruled the other half of the Jerusalem District, and he rebuilt the next section of the wall. Shallum's daughters also worked with him." - God has always had a place for women in the ministry. The scriptures don't reveal how old these girls were; perhaps they were teenagers. God has, is and will continue to use young girls, young ladies and older women to do the work of the Kingdom (notice these girls didn't gripe about their assignment like the men of Tekoa!).
3:15 "Shallum son of Colhozeh ruled the district of Mizpah, and he rebuilt Fountain Gate. He put a cover over the gateway, then hung the doors and added metal bolts and wooden beams as locks." - There are always people in the Church who go above and beyond the call of duty. They go all out for God on every project they undertake. I couldn't find in my reading of Nehemiah, Chapter 3, where anyone else put a cover over the gateway. This embellishment was an added feature that made a statement by Shallum that things done for God ought to be the best. Oswald Chambers called it, "My utmost for His highest."
3:20 "Baruch son of Zabbai eagerly rebuilt the section of the wall that went all the way to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest." - Don't you love it when in the company of the saints there is someone with an eager attitude? A positive, cheerful fellow in your church that does his job with a smile on his face. You know this guy… He's the one you can go ask to do anything from weed-eat the church lawn to fix the broken urinal in the men's restroom to serve communion at a Sunday night service and he'll just smile at you and say, "I'm glad to do it!"
3:30 "Hananiah and Hanun rebuilt the next section, which was the second section for them." The scriptures teach, "Two are better than one and a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Here we see two Israelites bonded together to do a work for God. The result? They completed the work on two sections. The buddy system works today in the Church too! In agreeing prayer, it can cause ten times as many of the enemy to flee!
3:32 "The goldsmiths and merchants rebuilt the last section of the wall, which went from the corner room all the way to Sheep Gate." - How pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) What happens when unity reigns? The "last section" gets done! In other words, we finish the work that God calls us to do. Bear in mind that the Tower of Babel was never completed because the workers got out of unity. God honors unified efforts expended under the auspices of His will and anointing.
4:1 "When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people." - It is not that I want to end on a negative note, but some things never change. Any time a great work for God is undertaken, we can expect the Sanballats of this world to creep out of the woodwork to preach their pessimistic gospel of negativism. We can and should take the stance that Nehemiah did, and not "come off the wall" (Nehemiah 6:3) to stop working for God in order to argue with the naysayers. We may feel better emotionally but the work of God stops. God's work must be done. God's will will be done. God's name must be exalted. Vengeance is His alone (Romans 12:19).
So, there you have it.
Times change but people usually don't.
Whether in ancient Israel building a wall
Or down at the corner church building a handicapped accessible ramp,
You are doubtless going to encounter people in your church
Who display the tendencies and attitudes of the people that
Nehemiah dealt with as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem!
But you and I can finish the work if we adopt the attitude towards opposition that Nehemiah did:-
"They [the enemies of Israel] were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak from the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'" (Nehemiah 6:9 NIV).
Pray, and God will strengthen your hands to complete His work.
DSR, July 9, 1999
Tuesday, July 6, 1999
When, Oh God, When?
by David Scott Robertson
I’m not afraid to die.
I have made my peace with God and trust in the shed blood of Christ
To make provisions for my sins.
Sometimes, though, I’m ashamed to die.
Ashamed because in spite of all the truth I’ve been exposed to
I still have not got my life figured out.
I’ve sat through incredible sermons.
I’ve listened to awesome Sunday School lessons.
I’ve been mentored by people who are light years ahead of me
In their spiritual walk and basic, vital wisdom.
I’ve watched videos by great teachers of the Bible.
I’ve listened to audiotapes by leadership developers that are brilliant and gifted.
I’ve read books written by inspired and motivated individuals.
I’ve thumbed through magazines with articles on discipleship
That are potentially life-transforming.
On top of this,
I have the Bible as an inerrant, inspired, and infallible Word of God
As Life’s Owner’s Manual;
I have a personal tutor in the Person of the Holy Spirit
To lead, guide and direct me into all truth;
I have the love of the Father,
The fellowship of His Son, Jesus,
And the communion of the Holy Spirit,
The fellowship of the saints,
And the constant companionship of a Proverbs 31 wife.
Yet in spite of the fact
That God has graciously provided me with
Everything I need pertaining to life and godliness
I still struggle with having a meaningful prayer time,
Read the Bible sometimes out of devotional duty,
Conduct my ministry as an obligation and moral responsibility,
And love people superficially.
When, O God, when
Am I going to come to the place of
Perfect submission,
Total obedience,
And maximum fruit?
When am I going to
Let go and let God have His wonderful way with me?
When am I going to get out of God’s way
And get out of my own way
And progress into the place of Christlikeness?
When will I dwell in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty?
When am I going to enter in His rest?
When am I going to swap filthy, righteous rags
For His unfading glory, manifesting daily
Through foolish and weak flesh such as me?
When am I going to lay down my heavy yoke of self-imposed burdens
And take up His light yoke?
When am I going to put faith into action,
Legs on my prayers,
My muscles where my theology is?
In light of the present situation
I could easy talk myself into a
Good cry,
A discouraging predicament,
Or a detour to depression.
But…
I have fallen into the hands of a merciful God.
My Lord King ever lives to make intercession for me
At the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The Kingdom of God is not without but within.
God’s favor is not based on my performance
Rather it is predicated on the Blood of His dear Son, Jesus.
Thanks be to god for the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.
There is hope
Because God is alive and not only His enemies will be scattered
But mine as well.
Even myself.
Even so,
Lord Jesus,
Help me today to
Trust in you, Lord, with all of my heart
And lean not on my own understanding
But in all my ways acknowledge you
And I truly believe that you shall direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
DSR. July 6, 1999
I’m not afraid to die.
I have made my peace with God and trust in the shed blood of Christ
To make provisions for my sins.
Sometimes, though, I’m ashamed to die.
Ashamed because in spite of all the truth I’ve been exposed to
I still have not got my life figured out.
I’ve sat through incredible sermons.
I’ve listened to awesome Sunday School lessons.
I’ve been mentored by people who are light years ahead of me
In their spiritual walk and basic, vital wisdom.
I’ve watched videos by great teachers of the Bible.
I’ve listened to audiotapes by leadership developers that are brilliant and gifted.
I’ve read books written by inspired and motivated individuals.
I’ve thumbed through magazines with articles on discipleship
That are potentially life-transforming.
On top of this,
I have the Bible as an inerrant, inspired, and infallible Word of God
As Life’s Owner’s Manual;
I have a personal tutor in the Person of the Holy Spirit
To lead, guide and direct me into all truth;
I have the love of the Father,
The fellowship of His Son, Jesus,
And the communion of the Holy Spirit,
The fellowship of the saints,
And the constant companionship of a Proverbs 31 wife.
Yet in spite of the fact
That God has graciously provided me with
Everything I need pertaining to life and godliness
I still struggle with having a meaningful prayer time,
Read the Bible sometimes out of devotional duty,
Conduct my ministry as an obligation and moral responsibility,
And love people superficially.
When, O God, when
Am I going to come to the place of
Perfect submission,
Total obedience,
And maximum fruit?
When am I going to
Let go and let God have His wonderful way with me?
When am I going to get out of God’s way
And get out of my own way
And progress into the place of Christlikeness?
When will I dwell in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty?
When am I going to enter in His rest?
When am I going to swap filthy, righteous rags
For His unfading glory, manifesting daily
Through foolish and weak flesh such as me?
When am I going to lay down my heavy yoke of self-imposed burdens
And take up His light yoke?
When am I going to put faith into action,
Legs on my prayers,
My muscles where my theology is?
In light of the present situation
I could easy talk myself into a
Good cry,
A discouraging predicament,
Or a detour to depression.
But…
I have fallen into the hands of a merciful God.
My Lord King ever lives to make intercession for me
At the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The Kingdom of God is not without but within.
God’s favor is not based on my performance
Rather it is predicated on the Blood of His dear Son, Jesus.
Thanks be to god for the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.
There is hope
Because God is alive and not only His enemies will be scattered
But mine as well.
Even myself.
Even so,
Lord Jesus,
Help me today to
Trust in you, Lord, with all of my heart
And lean not on my own understanding
But in all my ways acknowledge you
And I truly believe that you shall direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
DSR. July 6, 1999
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